Congratulations to Dr Clare Thompson who has published a new paper on the role of polycystin in chondrocyte mechanotransduction. The study published in the International Journal of Molecular Science in a special issue on Mechanobiology of Organelles.

In the paper we subjected isolated chondrocytes to mechanical stimulation and examined the effects on polycystin 2 (PC2) ciliary localisation and extracellular matrix gene expression. PC2 localises to the chondrocyte primary cilia but this is increase by mechanical stimulation. Cartilage matrix gene expression (Acan, Col2a) is increased in response to mechanical stimulation but this response is inhibited by siRNA-mediated loss of PC1 or PC2 expression. Increased PC2 cilia trafficking is dependent on the activation of Transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 4 (TRPV4) activation. Together these findings suggest that PC1/PC2 are an important component of cilia-mediated mechanotransduction in chondrocytes.

The full paper is entitled: Polycystin-2 Is Required for Chondrocyte Mechanotransduction and Traffics to the Primary Cilium in Response to Mechanical Stimulation

Updated by: Martin Knight